underground brand identity & experiential design

problem

When National Development came to us, the transformation of a no-man’s land under the I-93 expressway between Boston’s South End and South Boston had already begun. The space design of the 8-acre parcel (by Landing Studio) was well underway and artists (including Cey Adams, Hoxxoh, Imagine, Marka27, Percy Fortini-Wright, and VyalOne) had been selected to fill the walls. But how would people know something interesting was going on under there?

solution

Visual Dialogue—inspired by the angles of on/off ramps, highway signs, and the flow of traffic—created the brand identity for Underground. The 170-foot black and yellow sign (handpainted by Steez Design) leads you to the entrance. From there, you can follow 22 miles of our interwoven, multi-colored lines (applied by Doug Weathersby) on the path to this unique urban space. Our branding is carried through the space on shipping containers, parking kiosks, and wayfinding. Find your way to Underground and see how the underside of an expressway has been elevated through art and design.